Horatio Likes Popsicles
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: Secrets revealed. Sometimes what isn't said tells more than what is spoken. This fic comes as a birthday present to my dearest friend and sister. The T rating is based solely on the last scene.  Enjoy


**Horatio Likes Popsicles**

I have to smile now whenever I think back to that evening at Alexx's home. We were there on a Friday night, celebrating the close of a horrendous case and we were all a bit giddy with success. The whole team was there…Horatio, Speed, Eric, Frank, Natalia and myself. We milled about the house, calling out congratulations to each other, toasting each other repeatedly, patting backs and generally being obnoxious, except of course for Horatio. He sat on the couch talking quietly with Alexx until someone suggested a game. "Secrets" someone said. That idea was met with great enthusiasm, and everyone gladly entered into the lighthearted spirit, even Horatio, although somewhat reservedly.

"I'm not sure I like this idea," Frank grumbled good-naturedly. "Not sure I want my secrets let out."

"Aw come on, Frank. It'll be fun." Natalia slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Yeah, man," Eric chimed in. "Haven't you always wanted to know your co-workers deepest darkest secrets?"

"Well now that might not be too bad." Frank grinned at Nat and waggled his eyebrows. "Do you have any secrets you'd like to share, darlin?"

"Oh behave, Frank. We haven't started playing yet."

Horatio watched the by-play with a tiny amused grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

After some fussing and jostling, everyone was seated around the glass-topped coffee table in the living room, and Eric explained the rules of the game. We would go around the circle and each tell one thing about ourselves that we were certain no one else knew about us. The secrets weren't to be earth-shattering, just trivial, funny things that could do no harm by the revelation thereof. Everyone agreed and we settled in to play. Eric started us off.

"Okay, guys are you ready for this?" He looked around the eager faces and grinned. He took a deep breath. "I did not learn how to swim until I was almost 17."

A chorus of shocked and surprised exclamations met that statement.

"You have got to be joking, man." Speed said.

"Not a joke. I was terrified of the water until a friend forced me to go to swimming lessons with him and from then on I was hooked."

"Well knock me over with a feather. I never woulda guessed that." Frank shook his head in disbelief.

"So now you know." Eric grinned and looked at Speed. "Your turn, Speedle."

"Oh, man. I was hoping you'd get to me last."

"Come on. Out with it, Speed. What shocking or scandalous tidbit can you throw at us to top Eric?" Natalia teased him.

"Welllllllll…The first time I test drove a bike, I lived in Tallahassee. It was not such a success. On the first curve, I leaned a little too far over and laid the bike out on the cement. Screwed up the paint job really bad. Man, was the dealer mad when I brought that thing back. I had to pay to have it repaired, and I was told never to come back to that dealership again." He shook his head at the memory.

"I told you those things were dangerous, baby." Alexx chimed in. "They've been trouble for you from day one. Bad omen I say."

"Hard lesson learned, Alexx." Speed blew the ME a kiss and winked. "Your turn."

Alexx smiled. "Well if you must know…" she waited until she was sure we were all eagerly hanging on her next word.

"If you must know…I threw up during my first autopsy." A chagrinned smile curved her lips. "I can still remember it to this day. A dead body is supposed to be a just like a cadaver, but I will tell you they are most definitely NOT. Cadavers are cold and have no aura of personality. That poor sap who was the first person on my now long list of autopsies, was shockingly different. I felt like I was cutting open a real person, and it bothered me to the point that I felt nauseated and had to leave the room. After that first time I was okay."

"I can only imagine." Horatio murmured sympathetically.

Alexx looked at her dear friend and raised her eyebrows. "Anything you'd like to share with us, Horatio?"

"I'll go last." He said, a hint of humor glittering in his blue eyes. Turning his gaze then to Natalia, he tilted his head in that familiar fashion. "Ms. Boa Vista, I believe I'll pass the baton to you."

"You would. Okay, I'll go. Remember when I was first certifying to carry a sidearm? Well, I never told anyone, but the day I received my official license to carry, I accidentally shot a hole in my living room floor."

"What?" Frank said, choking back a laugh. "How did you manage that trick, Nat?"

"I was cleaning after shooting the suspect that day, and the doorbell rang. It startled me so badly that I accidentally pulled the trigger. You know that awful bronze flower vase sitting almost in the center of the room? Well, it's there to cover the hole I blew in the floor."

"Hmm, I'll have to check that out the next time, I'm over for dinner." Frank smiled at Nat and she blushed.

"Dinner? Just dinner? Are you sure you're not leaving something out" Speed elbowed Frank and gave him an exaggerated wink.

"Oh stuff it, Tim." Frank looked at the expectant faces all staring at him and sighed. "Guess it's my turn, right?" Frank shifted to make himself comfortable and placed his arm around Nat's shoulder before beginning.

"Before I came here, I lived in Texas. Ya'll know that. But what you don't know is that the summer before I graduated the police academy and became a cop, I worked with a little traveling rodeo as a rodeo clown."

"A rodeo clown?" Eric burst out laughing and fell over on the floor, holding his sides. "Oh, man. A rodeo clown. I'm gonna call you Tex from now on."

"Yes, a rodeo clown." Frank huffed. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Well, I always thought there was something a little funny about you, Francis." Horatio deadpanned and then chuckled. Then he turned toward Calleigh.

"It's your turn, Calleigh." He murmured. Somehow the tone sent delicious little chills racing over my skin and I suddenly knew exactly what he was going to reveal to the team. My mouth went dry, and my heart began racing. I locked eyes with him and he gave me the merest hint of a smile and nodded slightly. _Oh god help me keep a straight face,_ I prayed silently.

Aloud I said, "Okay…well…let me see…"

"Quit stalling, Cal. Out with it." Speed urged me.

I stalled for time, trying to think of anything I could to distract myself from the tumbling, tantalizing images that were whizzing through my mind. Horatio could sense my agitation and smiled slightly at me.

"It's okay, Cal. Tell us." He knew very well what he was doing to me. That man could melt polar ice with his voice alone.

"Okay, okay…I'm afraid of…"

"Ants?" Eric interrupted. "But we already know that, Cal."

"No, Eric. Well, yes, I'm afraid of ants, too. What I was going to say was that I'm afraid of flying."

"Huh? You mean like airplanes?" Confusion sat on Eric's face and Frank laughed at the comical expression.

"Duh genius. Like airplanes." Frank patted my hand sympathetically. "I'm not fond of 'em myself, Cal. Don't feel bad."

"Thanks, Frank."

An expectant silence filled the room and we all turned as one toward Horatio. He looked everyone on the eyes, finally staring straight into mine, before quietly revealing his secret.

"I like popsicles."

Heat suffused my body, and I was glad of the dimmed lighting in Alexx's living room. Had there been any more illumination everyone would have seen the blush that crept up my face. Had they been listening closely, they would have heard my soft gasp at Horatio's words. Fortunately for me, they were all too confused by his softly spoken statement to pay me any attention.

"Popsicles?" Speed queried, a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes, popsicles. They're very relaxing after a hard day's work."

"That's it? That's not such a big secret, H." Natalia said.

_If you only knew, Nat_, I thought to myself, fighting to keep the waves of arousal from showing in my face. Furtively I watched the others and was almost convinced that no one noticed my reaction to Horatio, until my gaze settled on Alexx's face. Her eyes lingered on mine and a knowing glint lit her face. She gave me a tiny grin and then schooled her expression to be bland and unrevealing. But she knew. I knew she knew exactly what Horatio was talking about. Sometimes her powers of observation were just too keen. I knew I hadn't heard the last from Alexx about popsicles.

After that, the conversation drifted to other things and finally waned. At around 10:30 the party began to break up. Frank stood and excused himself, saying he had to leave. Nat had ridden with him, so they left at the same time. Eric stayed for a bit longer, and then he too left. Speed said 'good bye' shortly after that and then it was just Horatio and myself let to say our farewells for the evening.

Alexx walked us to the door and then put a hand on both our shoulders. That knowing look glimmered in her eyes. "So you two like popsicles, eh?" she said smoothly to Horatio, and then winked at me. "Well. Enjoy them, but be careful. Ice burns are almost as bad as heat burns."

With that she opened the door and showed us out.

"Good night, you two."

I knew our secret was safe with Alexx.


End file.
